September / October 2009 Issue

GUILIN

Guilin, the “Forest of Sweet Osmanthus” , so named due to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees sighted within its gates, is a city located in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the west bank of the Li River.

Exhibiting a magic of its own with its subtropical climate, karst hills together with wonderful caves and lush green vegetation ranging from bamboo to conifers, Guilin is renowned for its unique scenery. This charming locality covering an area of about 27,800 square kilometers is a must see city in a tour of China.

Long been praised as the most picturesque place in China with green mountains, crystal clear waters, unique
caves and beautiful stones, Guilin is nothing short of “Shangri-La”. Its major attractions include Elephant Trunk Hill, Li River, Reed Flute Cave and Seven- Star Park that boasts a Stone Museum where amazing geological finds are displayed.

With the sweet osmanthus in bloom in autumn, the air coming alive with its fragrance, Guilin truly lives up to its name, the forest of sweet osmanthus. The ambience of this majestic place is just a nibble of the great feast that is
awaiting. Winding down the glittering Li River in this ambience, in a boat cruise that brings you to this dreamland,
passing nature’s masterpiece painting is the main course in the grand feast of sightseeing in Guilin.

The Li River winds and meanders its way for about 80 km from Guilin to Yangshou, creating a waterway thatkindles the imagination of any traveler with rolling mountains, featuring cliffs, unique caves, lush greenery and many other inspiring beauties.

Along the 80 kilometer riverbank from Guilin to Yangshuo are lots of important attractions. All these attractions are made more beautiful by their mirrored reflection on the peaceful water of the river; they have fired the saying, “Guilin has the most beautiful scenery in China, and Yangshuo is the most valuable part of Guilin.” As if gold
was hidden in a beautifully ornamented glass chalice.

With a landscape scattered with Karst peaks and the Li River snaking its way around them, Yangshuo and the
surrounding countryside is an incredibly beautiful place. It is a looking glass to a history of over 2,000 years and
the present day rural china with its smiling faces capturing the vibrance of simplicity, a feast to the eye and peace to the mind.

The Reed Flute Cave, one of the major attractions in Guilin is located in the Guangming Hill in the northwestern
outskirts of the city. The cave full of stalactites, stalagmites, rocks of all shapes and sizes is a wonderland of
colours, all sparkling away leading to the cave being highly regarded as the “Art Palace of Nature”. This dazzling
creation together with a backdrop of karst hills and crystal water is any sightseer’s dreamland.

The Elephant Trunk Hill is another important sight. Located at the junction of the Li and Yang rivers to the southeast of Guilin, this rock hill with an arched hole (known as the water-moon arch) is named after its striking resemblance to an elephant sipping water. Highlighting its majesty under a moonlit sky and reflecting waters, this hill adds to the magnificence of Guilin, even when the city has closed its eyes. It is regarded as the symbol of the beautiful town of Guilin. Located to the east of Li-River in the Guilin city is the Seven Star Park. Named after its seven peaks that resemble the pattern of the Big Dipper constellation, the park is the gateway to some of the most spectacular sights in the city like Seven Star Cave, Dragon Hiding Cave, Flowers Bridge etc.

If you care to climb a stone staircase of 306 steps to ravish your senses with a bird’s eye view of the beautiful scene of Guilin City, the Solitary Beauty Hill consisting of limestone from the ancient times is the place to go. Being 66m in height and occupying an area of about 6,100 square meters, it is one of three famous hills in Guilin. Named after the famous line of a poem in the Southern Dynasty (420-589) “nothing can outpace this solitary peak in beauty”, at dawn and dusk it appears to be adorned in a purple gown and a golden belt, thus coining the name ‘Purple Golden Peak’. The renowned Dushu Cave, Taiping (Peace) Rock and the Yueya (Crescent) Pond are also located at this amazing site.

Folded Brocade Hill, also called Diecai Hill overlooking Li River’s west bank is another of the three renowned hills in the city of Guilin. Housed within it are the Folded Brocade Pavilion, the Yuyue Pavilion, the Chengren Tablet of Masters Qu and Zhang and many other interesting attractions.

Fengyu Cave is another must see AD DESTINATIONS 100 www.asiadigest.sg site in Guilin. Running for about 5.3 km long with a river and through nine mountains, it is said to be the largest cave in Asia. Named after the red fish fengyu, a kind of blind fish living in the cave, it has the characteristic of fast growing and slim stalagmites which are several meters high. Captivated by numerous lights all around, these stalagmites make a magical impression. Located in Lipu County about 100 km to the south of Guilin together with Swan Feather Temple, the Eight Diagrams Villa and other scenic and historical monuments, the Fengyu Cave attracts a spotlight in this awe-inspiring locality.

Guilin is also an important cultural city with a history encompassing more than 2000 years. The city has been the political, economic and cultural center of Guangxi since the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Solitary Beauty Peak is considered to be the oldest place of interest and the prosperity enjoyed by the city during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is epitomised by the Tomb of Prince Jingjiang.

Given all these sites of beauty and interest Guilin is a well-developed tourist center with convenient transportation, communication and accommodation facilities where your needs will be met beyond your expectations. With a variety of shops to fulfill you shopping fantasies, an array of local cuisines and a number of entertaining ethnic shows put on for tourists to experience the folk-custom and appreciate the minority’s culture including Impression Liu Sanjie-a song and dance revue featuring some 600 performers-take place at what is billed as the world’s largest natural theater, it can be the ultimate holiday.

This breathtaking city is a paradise on earth fashioned into perfection by Mother Nature. So whether you are enjoying a serene boat ride down the Li River, gaping in amazement at the ribbon like Longji rice terraces that extend from the foot to the top of the hills, mesmerised by the beauty of karst green mountains, dazzling waters, unique caves and beautiful stones, exploring the never ending attractions , delighting your taste buds with a local delicacy, dazzling in the vibrance of Impression Liu Sanjie or even simply starring at your reflection in the crystal water, you will be ensnared by the lasting and magical impression of Guilin.

This Issue